Highland Brew · Mount Elgon Arabica
Bugisu Arabica Coffee
Photo: Erinamukuta / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
The same volcanic soils and cool, high-altitude air that slow the coffee cherries' ripening are what concentrate the sugars behind the region's prized floral, clean-finish cup.
Grown on Mount Elgon's volcanic slopes between roughly 1,500 and 2,300 metres, Bugisu Arabica is hand-picked by smallholder farmers around Mbale and mostly washed-processed for export, with some roasted locally and brewed strong at coffee shops in town.
Why it's made this way: The Nyasaland arabica variety was introduced to the region by colonial-era planters in the early 20th century and adapted so well to Elgon's soils that Bugisu coffee became Uganda's best-known highland origin.
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